Development of Economic Thought
This course covers the development of economic thought from the Middle Ages to the present, emphasizing Classical, Marxian, Neo-Classical, and Keynesian schools.
Summary
Past student reviews · James Walker
Assessment included exams and papers, with one student noting two of each and another noting two exams and one paper. Students described the difficulty as moderate, noting it was neither too hard nor too easy.
What you’ll be able to do
Describe the evolution of the methodology of economics.
Explain what Adam Smith wrote and what he did not write.
Discuss the dual role of economics as a social science and as an art (moral philosophy).
Source: UW Guide 1· UW Guide 2
Grade history
↗All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors
Prerequisites
Course map(ECON 101 and 102) or (ECON 102 and A A E 101 or 215 prior to Fall 2024) or ECON 111
This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.
Professors
Spring 2027No instructors recorded for this selection.
Historical instructors & teaching patterns
JAMES R WALKER is recorded teaching in Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Calendar & sections
Spring 2027Schedule loads here as you scroll.
| Section | Mode | Enrolled / capacity | Waitlist |
|---|
Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections.
Meeting source records
No records available.
Student experience
the class
Past student reviews · James Walker
The course focuses on economic theory and history rather than formal mathematics. Students found the material interesting, though opinions on the instructor's delivery varied significantly.
Recent recorded grades — Fall 2019: 3.20 GPA, 43.2% A/AB (n=37 letter grades); Fall 2020: 3.41 GPA, 59.4% A/AB (n=32 letter grades); Fall 2021: 3.28 GPA, 40.7% A/AB (n=27 letter grades).
difficulty & workload
Past student reviews · James Walker
Assessment included exams and papers, with one student noting two of each and another noting two exams and one paper. Students described the difficulty as moderate, noting it was neither too hard nor too easy.
Past student reviews · James Walker
Students reported frustration with disorganized course logistics, including late arrivals and unclear Canvas pages. Some found lectures rambling and difficult to follow, despite the instructor's friendly demeanor.
Topics
- Historical development of economic thought
- Major schools of economic thought: Classical, Marxian, Neo-Classical, and Keynesian
- Evolution of economic methodology
- Contributions of Adam Smith
Skills
- Describing the evolution of economic methodology
- Explaining the contributions of Adam Smith
- Discussing economics as a social science and moral philosophy
Grades
Latest available · Fall 2021— not enough history to project Spring 2027.
Grade distribution · % of letter grades
Grades over time
Through Fall 2021
More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data
Not enough comparable courses for Spring 2027 in UW–Madison.
Sources & history
Catalog & offerings
Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.
Catalog observation history
Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.
Selected offering source records
No offering records for the selected term.
Raw records
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Student reviews
Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.
Read original reviews
Grade history
Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.
Explore recorded gradesRecorded 2026-10-14
Model outputs & technical records
LLM outputs across runs
Full model traces
Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.
Model & dataset provenance
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